Saturday, December 31, 2011

Year in Review and Looking Forward to 2012

So what did I do in 2011????  Well . . . .




Wow!!!  What a year.  I can not believe how much I have grown in quilting and how much Happy Quilting has grown.  Thank you to all of you amazing readers that have made this year so incredibly fun for me.  I just love making new friends through this amazing online community.

So now let's quickly review 2011.  On December 31, 2010 I listed some goals here of the things I wanted to accomplish with my quilting in 2011.  Now I get to see how I did :)

Goals for 2011

1 - Participate in a Bee  (which I have already signed up for but sometimes it is fun to write things that are easily checked off :)  Check - And I loved every minute of it.  So much so that I created  2 Bees for 2012
2 - Participate in a Swap  (I have never done this,  any suggestions on good ones would be appreciated :)  Check - I participated in the post-sewing Summit Swap and just signed up fot the Name Game Swap starting in 2012
3 - Learn how to Paper Piece  Semi Check - I did one Bee Block paper pieced and learned the basics, but I would like to learn a lot more.
4 - Learn how to Curve Piece  Semi Check - I took a class on improv piecing where I learned how to do gentle curves but i have yet to tackle some drunkard path type curves.
5 - Be a guest blogger on other sites.  (I have done this once at Stash Manicure and loved it) Major Check - I guest blogged quite a lot at several blogs and really had a lot of fun with it :)
6 - Make a pillow or 2  (I need to branch out a little and I sew love the Cathedral Window pattern) - Check - I made my first pillow cover for Fat Quarterly, but I still want to try and mke some more including the Cathedral Window :)
7 - Host a Quilt-A-Long  (a little scary, but I really think it would be fun, with a little stress mixed in, lol)
Check - I actually hosted 2 and I think both were very successful.   I need to start planning another one.
8 - Continue designing for the Moda Bake Shop  (I just love this so much, It is a definite keeper :)  (And since I already have a project lined up for January I can check this off the list, Yippee Skippee) - Major Check - Me and the Moda Bake Shop are great friends, and I just love seeing your versions of my designs.  
9 - Use up more of my ever growing Stash.  I can't believe how quickly it is growing :) - Negative Check - It has probably doubled or more in size :)
10 - Last but not least, and I waited for last to write it because it scares the pants off of me. . . . Get a design published in a magazine.  (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can :) - Semi Check - If you have read this far you now get in on a little secret.  I have a quilt pattern that will be published in a magazine in spring 2012.  Squeal!!!!  So it wasn't quite in 2011, but all the work was done then.  If I knew how long the process took I would have started earlier in the year :)

So all in all, I am feeling pretty great about the Quilting year of 2011. It has been such an amazing ride.  And so now let's look forward to 2012.  I am so excited for 2012 in Quilting.  I have a few things that I am just so excited about that are already in the works and a few secrets that I just can't wait to share.  So let's get to some goals for where I hope 2012 quilting will take me :)

1 - Create some form of a blog hop.  These are always so much fun and I think I can figure out how to run one :)
2 - Host 2 more Quilt-A-Longs, at least.  I so loved having so many amazing quilter's sewing right a-long with me.  I really want to make sure I leave time to do that again.
3 - Work on some of those Semi-checks from 2011 ie . . .curved piecing, paper piecing, and pillows
4 - Write some more patterns.  I have several planned but plans don't always equal product :)
5 - Make some videos on free motion quilting.  I just have to get over the fear of my voice on tape.
6 - Teach a class.  Doesn't matter where, or to how many to ,preferably fewer, as the idea sort of scares and excites me at the same time.
7 - Start teaching my daughter to quilt.  She is starting to show some interest and I want to make sure I set some time aside for her.
8 - Design and create for my family.  Is it crazy that I made so many quilts in a year and only 1 of my children have a quilt I made for them on their bed??  (Although I have 2 in progress :)  I want to focus on making these works of love for the people I love.
9 - Make Christmas Stockings for my family.  Now that we know our family is not going to grow anymore I have no excuse not to make us a matching set of stockings.
10 - Keep Balance!!!!  I want to really try to make sure I am on top of things enough to keep quilting time to nap time and bed time so that it doesn't interfere with family time.

So here it goes!!!  Bring on 2012!!!! I can't wait!!!!!
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13 comments:

  1. Sounds wonderful! You sure were busy this past year!

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  2. Don't know how you did it all and had a beautiful baby as well.
    Happy 2012 to you Melissa and all your loved ones.

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  3. What a busy gal you are! Congrats on your goals!! Happy and productive new year!!

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  4. WOW you have been busy,I see some of your goals and thank what are my goals,this will take some time to thank about. Have a Happy New Year.jinnie

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  5. Congratulations on being about-to-be-published! Yay for you!

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  6. So much lovely quilting this year! You're invited to join our year-end link party at http://www.craftbuds.com/craft-buds-2011-year-in-review-link-party. Please join us if you'd like!

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  7. You know how to get things done!!! Happy New Year!

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  8. Congratulations on an amazingly productive year!
    It sounds as if you'll keep that momentum through 2012! Congrats on the soon-to-be-published pattern! You sew, girl!

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  9. Melissa...you are an amazing woman with a super talent and sooooo productive. Your heart is in the right place with your family time being so important! Best wishes to you in the new year!

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  10. Congratulations! I can't wait for the spring to see your magazine debut. It sounds like you had a great year. I'm sure you will be even more successful in 2012.

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  11. Aw, the publication counts! It usually takes a bit after being accepted to get it on paper. I have a book chapter coming out early next year that I started two years ago :) It just takes a long, long time sometimes!

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  12. Oooo you have inspired me, I am going to do a similar list of the things I would like to achieve sewing-wise in 2012 (and the first two are the same as yorus were last year!).... here goes x

    Congratulations on being published in a magazine, I will watch this space for further details.

    Happy New Year x

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  13. I am not sure how I missed this post, but CONGRATULATIONS on reaching and exceeding so many of your goals!! You rock! I am SO excited to see this magazine in the spring!! Yay!!

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Thank you so much for your sweet comments. I just love hearing from you!!
Have a Happy Quilting Day :)

Melissa